Verse 20

Hymn to Kali, by Arthur Avalon (Sir John George Woodroffe), [1922], at sacred-texts.com

p. 91

VERSE 20

O MOTHER, he who, being a controller of his passions, ¹ eats haviṣyānnaṁ, ² and, being proficient in meditation on Thy feet, rightly recites ³ Thy mantra a hundred thousand times by day, and he who afterwards ⁴ naked at night, when united with his Śakti, ⁵ rightly recites Thy great mantra another such hundred thousand times, becomes on earth like unto the Destroyer of Smara. ⁶

COMMENTARY

'Naked' (Nagnah)

That is free from the covering of Māyā; Nirvikāra.

'Amorous play' (Nidhuvana-vinodena)

That is enjoying the bliss of union between Ātmā and Paraśakti. The Kulārṇava-Tantra says, 'That is coition (Maithuna) in which there is the bliss arising from the union of Ātmā and Paraśakti. Others are but Enjoyers of women.'

'Becomes' (Syāt)

That is, becomes liberated whilst yet living (Jīvanmukta) like Śiva.

p. 92

Footnotes

91:1 Vashī. The first part of this Śloka refers to Paśvācāra.

91:2 That is, one who has undertaken the Puraścaraṇavrata, and eats the pure form of food known as Haviṣyānnaṁ (K.B.).

Haviṣyāśanaratah: that is after the recitation (V).

91:3 Makes japa (see ibid.).

91:4 Paraṁ: that is, when he has been Abhiṣikta into Vīrācāra.

91:5 p. 92 Naktaṁ nagno nidhuvana-vinodena, the meaning of which is yādā sādhakah śaktyā saha maithuna-kriyāsakto bhavati, tadā sa mantraṁ japati.

91:6 Smarahara or Śiva (see note 5 to Śloka 18, ante). The Tantrakalpadruma says, 'He who eats Haviṣyānnaṁ, who keeping Devī in mind recites the Mantra a hundred thousand times by day and is at night united with his Śakti becomes the Lord of the earth.' (V).